Abstract
ABSTRACT Few enslaved burial grounds have been identified throughout the Caribbean, notably on the southeasterly island of Barbados, which was home to one of the densest populations of enslaved peoples from its official settlement in 1627 to Emancipation in 1834. In this paper, we present archival, oral historical, and geophysical data evidencing a burial ground for enslaved and free Barbadians at Holy Cross Church, located on Society Plantation. Situated on the grounds of Christopher Codrington’s seventeenth-century estate, which was later gifted to the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, this burial ground, and its associated archival record, sheds light on proselytization efforts and burial practices on the island shortly before and after Emancipation. We present evidence of the location of burial grounds for Afro-Barbadians who chose the Christian rite of burial. We then offer alternatives to excavation that can properly honor and respect the individuals interred at the site.
Published Version
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